Graduation Announcements college!

We had the birth of our first baby imminent and Jonny decided that he wanted to better himself and in turn better our lives as a new family by returning to study and doing a degree on the Open University. I had never been prouder of him as he embarked on a 6 year course which took up the vast majority of his spare time all while working a 40 hour week and being a very present and hands on Daddy.

He graduated, finally, and we moved back to Norfolk all at once not knowing how or when he would be able to use this hard earned degree of his. I was over the moon with and for him and wanted to throw him a party but he refused. He felt embarrassed I think, especially as there was no way we could afford for him to give up work and pursue his real dream of retraining to be a teacher. So… He put his certificate in an envelope (not displayed in the frame I wanted it to be inside) and carried on as if he hadn’t made this great big achievement.

There was no party and no picture of him wearing a grad gown and cap for his parent’s to display alongside the one of his sister. And for a few years that really bothered me. Until this past academic year when finally he was able to give up the day job, make more personal and financial sacrifices and begin his dream career in teaching. I vowed this time, when he passed and came out this summer as a fully qualified teacher, that we would party!

And things have gone great with his training for the most part, he has been loving his course, enjoying teacher training on the job and looking forward to having a class of his own. Then… The virus hit and schools were closed down and with some uncertainty to begin with his future new career seemed precarious to say the least. We then got the news his course WILL complete just in a different way and he has a LOT of written work to finish before then. So he is back to study and working hard and all of this in isolation WITH 3 children.

I tell you what, when this lockdown is over we are having one hell of a party to celebrate my Jonny becoming a teacher! Grad party invitations will be sent out and our favourites will come and dance in the garden with us to celebrate a well done cheers to Jonny who despite many obstacles has earned his stripes!

We will have music and food and merriment that is deserved by all of us and all in aid of Jonny graduating. We will do the whole thing properly with caterers and glamorous dress and then we will send thank you cards for graduation to all our friends and family!

Most of the time I let him dip under that radar he prefers but not this year, not after this achievement and not after us being locked down to help the fight against COVID19 which could have scuppered it all! This time the celebrations are to be had!

From the fancy invites at the beginning to the thank you for coming cards at the en, every detail of this graduation party will be thought of, there will be a theme, colours, music, children, laughing, family and a whole heap of love! Obviously there’s not much I can do right now with the current climate but the prep is underway and the research! As soon as we can pick a date I know which invites I’ll be using and Basic Invite has an amazing website allowing infinite colour combinations with an instant preview on line so I have been able to play about and put a lot of thought into every element of the cards right down to the tiniest of details! I can even send off for samples so I can see what the paper feels like and how it will print before I make my final order – I have the time to do this so I’m using it! 180 different colours, 40 different envelope shades and a free address collection service when you share their link via social media or email!

I cannot WAIT to breathe out and party with my friends and I think I shall enjoy the planning as much as the party – you have to have something to look forward to after all!

Collaboration.